Sample
  • Ask Not

  • The Kennedys and the Women They Destroyed
  • By: Maureen Callahan
  • Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
  • Length: 11 hrs and 18 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (322 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Ask Not

By: Maureen Callahan
Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $24.95

Buy for $24.95

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Great first listens

The Housemaid Audiobook By Freida McFadden cover art
The Housemaid By: Freida McFadden
Listen for the Lie Audiobook By Amy Tintera cover art
Listen for the Lie By: Amy Tintera
Queen of Shadows Audiobook By Sarah J. Maas cover art
Queen of Shadows By: Sarah J. Maas
Project Hail Mary Audiobook By Andy Weir cover art
Project Hail Mary By: Andy Weir
Empire of Storms Audiobook By Sarah J. Maas cover art
Empire of Storms By: Sarah J. Maas
Kingdom of Ash Audiobook By Sarah J. Maas cover art
Kingdom of Ash By: Sarah J. Maas
The Next Mrs. Parrish Audiobook By Liv Constantine cover art
The Next Mrs. Parrish By: Liv Constantine
Romancing Mister Bridgerton Audiobook By Julia Quinn cover art
Romancing Mister Bridgerton By: Julia Quinn
Tower of Dawn Audiobook By Sarah J. Maas cover art
Tower of Dawn By: Sarah J. Maas
The Housemaid's Secret Audiobook By Freida McFadden cover art
The Housemaid's Secret By: Freida McFadden
Verity Audiobook By Colleen Hoover cover art
Verity By: Colleen Hoover
A Court of Mist and Fury (Part 2 of 2) (Dramatized Adaptation) Audiobook By Sarah J. Maas cover art
A Court of Mist and Fury (Part 2 of 2) (Dramatized Adaptation) By: Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Wings and Ruin (1 of 3) [Dramatized Adaptation] Audiobook By Sarah J. Maas cover art
A Court of Wings and Ruin (1 of 3) [Dramatized Adaptation] By: Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Thorns and Roses (Part 1 of 2) (Dramatized Adaptation) Audiobook By Sarah J. Maas cover art
A Court of Thorns and Roses (Part 1 of 2) (Dramatized Adaptation) By: Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Thorns and Roses (Part 2 of 2) (Dramatized Adaptation) Audiobook By Sarah J. Maas cover art
A Court of Thorns and Roses (Part 2 of 2) (Dramatized Adaptation) By: Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Wings and Ruin (Part 2 of 3) (Dramatized Adaptation) Audiobook By Sarah J. Maas cover art
A Court of Wings and Ruin (Part 2 of 3) (Dramatized Adaptation) By: Sarah J. Maas
The Nightingale Audiobook By Kristin Hannah cover art
The Nightingale By: Kristin Hannah
The Inmate Audiobook By Freida McFadden cover art
The Inmate By: Freida McFadden
The Way of Kings Audiobook By Brandon Sanderson cover art
The Way of Kings By: Brandon Sanderson
Words of Radiance Audiobook By Brandon Sanderson cover art
Words of Radiance By: Brandon Sanderson
A Court of Wings and Ruin (Part 3 of 3) (Dramatized Adaptation) Audiobook By Sarah J. Maas cover art
A Court of Wings and Ruin (Part 3 of 3) (Dramatized Adaptation) By: Sarah J. Maas
Fourth Wing (Part 1 of 2) (Dramatized Adaptation) Audiobook By Rebecca Yarros cover art
Fourth Wing (Part 1 of 2) (Dramatized Adaptation) By: Rebecca Yarros
The Final Empire Audiobook By Brandon Sanderson cover art
The Final Empire By: Brandon Sanderson
The Serpent and the Wings of Night Audiobook By Carissa Broadbent cover art
The Serpent and the Wings of Night By: Carissa Broadbent
A Court of Silver Flames (Part 1 of 2) (Dramatized Adaptation) Audiobook By Sarah J. Maas cover art
A Court of Silver Flames (Part 1 of 2) (Dramatized Adaptation) By: Sarah J. Maas
A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire Audiobook By Jennifer L. Armentrout cover art
A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire By: Jennifer L. Armentrout
James Audiobook By Percival Everett cover art
James By: Percival Everett
A Court of Silver Flames (2 of 2) (Dramatized Adaptation) Audiobook By Sarah J. Maas cover art
A Court of Silver Flames (2 of 2) (Dramatized Adaptation) By: Sarah J. Maas
The Well of Ascension Audiobook By Brandon Sanderson cover art
The Well of Ascension By: Brandon Sanderson
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) Audiobook By Dennis E. Taylor cover art
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) By: Dennis E. Taylor

Publisher's summary

From New York Times bestseller Maureen Callahan, a fierce, character-driven exposé of the real Kennedy Curse—the family’s generations-long legacy of misogyny, murder, and mayhem.

The Kennedy name has long been synonymous with wealth, power, glamor, and—above all else—integrity. But this carefully constructed veneer hides a dark truth: the pattern of Kennedy men physically and psychologically abusing women and girls, leaving a trail of ruin and death in each generation’s wake. Through decades of scandal after scandal—from sexual assaults to reputational slander, suicides to manslaughter—the family and their defenders have kept the Kennedy brand intact. Now, in Ask Not, bestselling author and journalist Maureen Callahan reveals the Kennedys’ hidden history of violence and exploitation, laying bare their unrepentant sexism and rampant depravity while also restoring these women and girls to their rightful place at the center of the dynasty’s story: from Jacqueline Onassis and Marilyn Monroe to Carolyn Bessette, Martha Moxley, Mary Jo Kopechne, Rosemary Kennedy, and many others whose names aren’t nearly as well known but should be.

Drawing on years of explosive reportage and written in electric prose, Ask Not is a long-overdue reckoning with this fabled family and a consequential part of American history that is still very much with us. At long last, Callahan redirects the spotlight to the women in the Kennedys’ orbit, paying homage to those who freed themselves and giving voice to those who, through no fault of their own, could not.

©2024 Maureen Callahan (P)2024 Little, Brown & Company

Critic reviews

"Bold, brave and original, Ask Not takes a sledgehammer to the myth of Camelot. This is an unforgettable book—a necessary reckoning that will forever change the way I view modern American history." —Susannah Cahalan, author of The Great Pretender and the #1 New York Times bestseller Brain on Fire

“A harrowing, incendiary swirl of tragedy, true crime, and reconsidered history, Ask Not sets a match to the glamour and mystique of America’s most famous family. With incisive wit and wisdom, Callahan exposes the individuals and the celebrity culture that aided and abetted so many Kennedy men.” —Karen Abbott, New York Times bestselling author of The Ghosts of Eden Park and Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy

What listeners say about Ask Not

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    263
  • 4 Stars
    36
  • 3 Stars
    14
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    4
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    258
  • 4 Stars
    35
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    5
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    255
  • 4 Stars
    28
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    9
  • 1 Stars
    5

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

So Good—Historical w Critical Analysis

Bravo! I learned so much more about the multitude of women who suffered greatly under Kennedy men. I will relisten and share widely.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Things I never knew…

Good book, interesting and an easy listen. Never knew the extent of the cover up that went on and still does.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Filled w interesting detail not cohesively revealed before.

Plot bounces around past/present timeframes, and many people - abruptly at times. Could have used better transitions for clarity.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Enlightening, Shocking

This is such a well written book about the powers of the Kennedys and the treatment of women in their path! Well researched and written.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Awesome book

Very well done. Details I had never heard of and am shocked. Especially Rose the daughter.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Outstanding!

The narration made this already great book absolutely wonderful! This book gives more depth to already known topics and then digs in even deeper.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Mary Richardson Kennedy

It is about time that the truth comes out! Thanks to the author for being so brave.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing

I had no idea, This recounting of the horrific actions by this family of despicable men is a chilling reminder how traditional media is able to distill and distort truth according to the powerful.

Well written, well researched, well done.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely Fascinating

As a history buff/teacher and woman I found myself spellbound listening to these disturbing accounts of abuse by the Kennedy men. I don’t doubt their truth; much of what I’ve read about the Kennedy men has suggested these abuses. But seeing/hearing it compiled in one place packs quite a punch. It’s beyond disturbing what this family has gotten away with throughout the years. All men, especially those in power, need to be held accountable for their actions. Period.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Tragic and Disturbing.

Well written and narrated. Certain things told as facts may not ring true. Though the infidelity and abuse I question not.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!